Her solo career began in earnest in 2002, when a demo version of the song "Finally Woken" was played on the LA radio station, KCRW. The track became one of the most listener-requested songs at the station, landing her in their top 5 played artists, and all prior to any record label being attached. As a result, she signed to Dave Matthews' ATO Records label.
Along with electronic producer Guy Sigsworth (Björk, Frou Frou), she wrote the song Nothing Fails, which was later reworked by Madonna and appeared on her 2003 album, American Life.
Jem released the moderately successful EP It All Starts Here in autumn 2003, followed by the debut album Finally Woken in March 2004. The first single They became her most successful single to date, peaking at #6 on UK Singles Charts.
Her second album Down to Earth was released on 16 September 2008, preceded by the single It's Amazing.
Jem's music featured on various movies (Closer, Eragon, Sex and the City, Monster-in-Law, The Prince and Me), trailers (Ultraviolet, Closer), ads (Lexus), and TV series (The OC, Six Feet Under, Gossip Girl, Smallville, 90210).
Down to Earth
Jem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They sent me on a mission
Down to earth
To watch and to observe life
And gather information 'bout
Your birth
But what I mostly see is misery
[Chorus]
So capable of love yet,
Too scared to open up and
Just wanna be accepted,
But can't show that you care
Creating problems daily,
No wonder some go crazy
So special and so gifted
But most don't know, it's there
Friends I have to ask you
Surrounded by the beauty
Of this place
Why do you make it so hard
For all the things you want
To come your way
Well I don't think you see
Your destiny
And it makes me sad
[Chorus]
Do it, just let it all out
Express emotion
Say how you're feeling
It's liberating
Nothing can hurt you
You can be happy
But you must believe it
(believe it)
Well I don't think you see
Your destiny
And it makes me sad
[Chorus]
So capable of love yet,
Too scared to open up and
Just wanna be accepted,
Creating problems daily,
No wonder some go crazy
So special and so gifted
But most don't know, it's there
Won't you let me take you
Down to earth
The song "Down to Earth" by Jem is a deep and compelling message about the human condition. The song talks about an observer who came from another place and was sent to earth to experience and gather information about human life. The observer is surprised by the amount of pain and misery that they witness in people's lives. Jem expresses her sadness about how humans are so capable of love but are too scared to express their emotions and open up to others. The song stresses the importance of accepting oneself and expressing one's emotions.
Jem further questions why humans make it so hard for themselves to achieve the things they want in life. She believes that people do not see their destiny, and that is why they have difficulties in life. She advises people to express their emotions, as it is liberating and brings happiness. But one has to believe in their happiness for it to work.
The song ends by inviting the listener to go "Down to Earth." This can be interpreted as an invitation to live the human experience fully, with all its emotions and struggles.
Overall, "Down to Earth" is a thought-provoking reflection on life, self-acceptance, and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
Friends I have to tell you
I have something important to share with you
They sent me on a mission
I was sent on a task
Down to earth
To observe life from a realistic perspective
To watch and to observe life
To keenly monitor and study life
And gather information 'bout
To collect vital details about
Your birth
The story of your beginning
But what I mostly see is misery
However, I observe mostly sadness
And it makes me sad
And it saddens me
Chorus
Refrain
So capable of love yet,
If only you were courageous enough to love,
Too scared to open up and
Fearful of expressing emotions and
Just wanna be accepted,
Just want to be acknowledged by others,
But can't show that you care
But find it hard to demonstrate affection openly
Creating problems daily,
Causing trouble frequently,
No wonder some go crazy
It's no wonder some lose their minds
So special and so gifted
So extraordinary and talented
But most don't know, it's there
But many are ignorant of this greatness
Friends I have to ask you
I have another thing to inquire about
Surrounded by the beauty
In the midst of such loveliness
Of this place
Of this environment
Why do you make it so hard
Why do you make life so difficult
For all the things you want
For everything you desire
To come your way
To happen in the manner you want
Well I don't think you see
But I don't think you realize
Your destiny
Your purpose in life
And it makes me sad
And it saddens me
Chorus
Refrain
Do it, just let it all out
Go ahead, express yourself fully
Express emotion
Show your feelings
Say how you're feeling
Speak your mind
It's liberating
It's freeing
Nothing can hurt you
No harm can come to you
You can be happy
You can experience happiness
But you must believe it
But you must have faith in it
Well I don't think you see
But I don't think you understand
Your destiny
Your purpose in life
And it makes me sad
And it saddens me
Chorus
Refrain
Won't you let me take you
Won't you allow me to guide you
Down to earth
Back to reality
Lyrics © EMONIUM MUSIC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O CAPASSO, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JEFF BASS, JEM GRIFFITHS, JUSTIN GRIFFITHS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind